Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अपूपश्च हिरण्यं च गामश्वं पृथिवीं तिलान् । अविद्वान्प्रतिगृह्णाति भस्मीभवति काष्ठवत्

Transliteration

apūpaśca hiraṇyaṃ ca gāmaśvaṃ pṛthivīṃ tilān | avidvānpratigṛhṇāti bhasmībhavati kāṣṭhavat

Translation

Nimmt ein Unwissender als Gabe Kuchen, Gold, Kühe, Pferde, Land oder Sesam an, so wird er wie ein Stück Holz zu Asche.

Word by Word

• अपूपः: cake, sacrificial cake
• अपूपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सूचीकरणे (enumeration)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अश्वम्: a horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पृथिवीम्: land, earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अविद्वान्: an ignorant man
• अविद्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ (one who is not learned)

• प्रतिगृह्णाति: accepts (as a gift)
• प्रतिगृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• भस्मीभवति: turns to ash
• भस्मीभवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्मी-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; नामधातु (denominative) ‘to become ash’

• काष्ठवत्: like wood
• काष्ठवत्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काष्ठ + वत् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (simile adverb: ‘like/as’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual gifting scene: a donor offers cakes, gold, cow, horse, land deed, and sesame; the unqualified recipient is shown metaphorically turning to ash like dry wood—an allegorical overlay rather than literal violence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is sacred and must be received only by the qualified; unfitness and greed in receiving gifts destroys spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where dharma is taught in practical detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance on pratigraha (accepting gifts): valuable ritual gifts—food, gold, cattle, horses, land, sesame—should not be accepted by the unqualified.